Cable-laying machine



L. S. ADAMS.

CABLE LAYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1918- 1,337, 184, Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1- Fig. 5

L. S. ADAMS.

CABLE LAYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED DEC. 16,4918.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. S. ADAMS.

CABLE LAYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 191B.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fm enfor 1215 fifomgy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYTLE S. ADAMS, OF VENICE, CALIFORNIA.

CABLE-LAYING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYTLE S. AnnMs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Venice, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Cable-Laying Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of machinery generally known asexcavating machinery; and an object of the invent on is the provision ofa machine for expeditiously and economically laying a cable beneath theground surface.

It is a feature of the invention that my machine does not actuallyremove the soil or the major portion of it from the trench in which thecable is laid, but on the other hand disturbs the soil and lays thecable under the soil Without removing the soil bodily. In previousexcavating machinery of which I am aware, there has usually been used ameans for actually excavating the earth from a trench, then the cable orthe like is laid and then the removed earth is replaced; but this is notthe method of procedure with my improved machine. My 1m proved machineutilizes a soil loosener or disturber which is moved through the soil;and a means for laying a cable from and behind the lower end of the soildisturbing means, so that the cable is laid immediately under thedisturbed soil without the necessity of removing the soil bodily.

A detailed description of a preferred form of mechanism will render theinvention clear and intelligible; and I therefore proceed to such adetailed description, reference be ng had for this purpose to theaccompanying drawing, in which v Figure 1 is a side elevation showing apreferred form of my complete cable-laying machine as it appears inaction; Fig. 2 1S an enlarged cross section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3is an enlarged sectional detail of the soil disturbing and cable-layingparts of the mechanism; Fig. 4 is a detail section taken as indicated byline 41 of Fig. 3; F 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is anenlarged detail of the soil disturbing element; Fig. is an enlargedsection on line 77 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig.3 but showing a modified form of soil-disturb1ng and cable layingmechanism; Fig. 9 is a cle- Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedA131. 20, 1920. Application filed December 16, 1918.

Serial No. 267.650.

truck may be connected by a swivel attachment 10 (usually known as afifth wheel) with the rear end of the frame of an automobile A. Theautomobile A performs the service of progressing the whole mechanismover the ground, while the trailer truck T performs the service ofcarrying the cable laying machinery and of providing the power tooperate that machinery. The engine 9 of the trailer truck T is used forpower for the soil disturbing mechanism; and in a preferred arrangementI may obtain power for the soil disturbing mechanism from thetransmission shaft S of the trailer truck. I may use the usualchangespeed transmission 9 to obtain various driving speeds for the soildisturbing mechanism. It will be evident that I may make the trailertruck from any automobile or automobile truck by the simple expedient ofremoving the front wheels and substituting the fifth wheel 10, andremoving the transmission connection to the rear wheels 11. I alsopreferably remove the rear springs and "support the frame on a solidsupport on the rear axle 11 using a brace 11 from the frame to the axle.This rear axle may be made specially for the purpose, being preferablybent up in its middle to allow the soil disturbing mechanism to beraised when out of operation.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 1 I utilize as a soil disturbingelement, a spiral soil digger 20 which is mounted upon a hollow shaft21. This hollow shaft is driven by means of a bevel gear 22 mounted uponits upper end and meshing with a bevel gear 23 which runs upon across-shaft 24, mounted in bearings or mountings 25, which may bemounted upon the side frames 26 of the trailer truck T. The upper end ofhollow shaft 21 is j ournaled in a bearing 27 carried by a yoke 28 whichhas bearings 28 on the shaft 24; provision being thus made for allowingthe shaft 21 to swing about shaft 24; as a center, so as to raise andlower shaft 21 and the spiral digger 20. l/Vhen not in use these partsare raised to a position under the truck frame and above the groundsurface. A bevel gear 29 on transmission shaft S drives the gear 23; andthus the hollow shaft and spiral digger element are driven from theengine of the truck T.

Inside the hollow shaft 21 there is a cable tube 30 whose lower endprojects below the end of the hollow shaft and is bent so as to projectsubstantially rearwardly horizontally, as indicated at 30 The spiralsoil digger may at its lower end somewhat overhang the lower end ofhollow shaft 21, so as to dig as low as the lowest part of the cabletube 30. The cable 32 is fed down through this cable tube over a sheave33 from a cable drum 33. In order to hold the spiral digger element andthe shaft 21, etc., in the proper soil-engaging position (such anangular trailing position as is shown in the drawings), and to raise andlower the parts, I provide a suitable adjustable brace or strut, in theform of a screw-threaded brace-rod 34: which is swivelly attached at 35to a yoke frame 36. This yoke frame may have a bearing at its upper endat 37 holding the revolving hollow shaft 21, and may be permanently andrigidly attached at its lower end to the part 30 of the cable tube. Thisyoke frame 36 is preferably thin as is best shown in the section of Fig.5, and may be somewhat sharp-edged; so as to pass easily through thedisturbed soil E. The upper end of screw-threaded rod 34; is mounted ina swivel nut 10 which is swiveled at 41 on a cross frame 42 which isslidable in the frame 26 of truck T; and the springs 4:3 may be usedbehind the transverse frame 42 for the purpose of holding it normallyforward. These springs perform a yielding function when the diggerstrikes a boulder, in order to allow the digger to move upwardly andpass over the boulder rather than be injured thereby. Cable drum 33 maybe placed in such a position rearward on the truck frame as toeffectually exert its weight to hold the rear end down and thus hold thesoil disturbing element in proper ground engagement.

The hollow shaft 21 may, if so desired, be made to have an interiorbearing throughout its length upon cable tube 30. The spiral diggerelement 20 may be of any suitable construction. The construction of suchspiral is well known in the conveyer art and needs no detaileddescription here. However, I may provide the spiral with a serrated edgeas is shown in the drawings, and I may provide the edge of the spiral tobe made of separate renewable pieces, such as is shown in detail inFigs. 6 and 7. These renewable edge pieces 45 for the spiral may haveserrations 4-5 in their outer cutting edges, and they may be mountedupon the spiral '20 itself by means of bolts i6, so as to be easilyremovable and renewable. The edge pieces 45 are preferably so shaped asto completely cover the edge of the spiral 20, so as to protect thatedge against wear; being formed with a flange 45 which is bolted againstone face of the edge of the spiral and with an overhanging flange L5" tooverhang the opposite face. These parts 45 may be made so as to fit theedge of the spiral with fair accuracy; and, being bolted thereto, theystiffen and strengthen the spiral and enable it to do much heavier andfaster work than it would be able otherwise to do.

The action of the spiral, upon being rotated and being moved forwardlythrough the soil, is to disturb and loosen the soil, The soil being thusdisturbed and loosened by the action of the spiral,the spiral and theother parts may be progressed through the soil, and the cable 32 is leftbehind and laid under the loosened soil in the rear of the spiral. Tostart the operation of the machine the end of the cable will be suitablyanchored at some point and a beginning trench or hole may be dug and thespiral lowered into it and placed at the proper angle. Operation of thespiral, and progression of the spiral through the soil, then are begun.The spiral and its hollow shaft 21 and the yoke 32 and other partsprogress with comparative ease through the soil because the soil isloose. And, furthermore, the spiral is rotated in the proper directionto cause it by its conveying action to partially raise the loosened soilto allow easy progression of the parts mentioned through the loosenedsoil. It will of course be obvious that the smaller the cubic spaceactually occupied by the spiral itself and by shaft 21 and yoke 36,etc., the smaller will be the proportion of soil which it is necessaryto raise to the surface in order to allow those parts to easily progressthrough the loosened earth. Also, as a matter of fact, the loosenedearth occupies a somewhat greater volume than the solid earth ahead ofthe spiral; and the stated rotation of the spiral also raises the earthto take care of this situation. Behind the spiral, at a point where thecomplete operation has been finished, the raised earth for the most partsinks back into the so called trench.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I illustrate a modified form of mechanism modified tothe extent of providing a specifically different form of digging or soildisturbing element. Here the element comprises digging teeth or out tersmounted on chains 51 which pass over upper sprockets 52 on shaft 24 andpass over lower idler sprockets or rollers 53 which are mounted on ashaft 54 supported in a bearing 55 which is adjustable in posi tion soas to keep the chains tight. This bearing 55 may be adjustably mounted(by a screw-threaded stud 56) on the end of a longitudinal element 57which at its upper end is mounted in yoke 28. The cable tube passes downon the rear side of longitudinal element 57 and the arrangement of theparts is such that the cutting elements leave only a sufficient spacebetween them for the passage of the cable tube 30 between them. Theparts move in the direction indicated by the arrows, the forward andlower course of the digger chains traveling upwardly and forwardly; andit will be seen that the digging elements dig against the whole face ofthe excavation except the small space between the two sets of cutters50. However, the piece of earth which is left between the two sets ofcutters is narrow enough so that it will not stand, but will crumbleaway. The whole result of the action of the digging element in this formis thus similar to that in the other form first explained. The forwardand upwardly moving course of the digging element tends to lift thedisturbed and loosened earth, and does lift a portion of it so as toprovide a space for the forward passage of the parts of the mechanism;while the rear course of the element, which moves downwardly, tends tocarry the lifted earth back into the trench thus formed.

The digging element thus described is held to its work in the samemanner as hereinbefore described for the other form, by thescrew-threaded rod 34L, which in this case joins with a yoke 3 which mayconnect swivelly at 35 with the longitudinal element 57. On element 57 Imay mount suitable guides 60 against which the digger chains 51 may bearback; so that the digging cutters 50 are firmly supported against theface of the excavation.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. Machinery of the character described, embodying a movable carriage,mechanism carried thereby for digging and disturbing the soil in atrench formation and for leaving the disturbed soil in the trench soformed, and means for laying a cable or the like rearwardly from saiddigging and disturbing mechanism; said cablelaying means embodying acable tube extending clownwardly along the digging and disturbingmechanism and delivering the cable rearwardly, and said digging anddisturbing element comprising rotating digging and disturbing meansentirely surrounding the cable tube.

2. Machinery of the character described, embodying a movable carriage,mechanism carried thereby for digging and disturbing the soil in atrench formation and for leaving the disturbed soil in the trench soformed, and means for laying a cable or the like rearwardly from saiddigging and disturbing mechanism; said cable-laying means embodying acable tube extending downwardly along said mechanism and delivering thecable rearwardly, said digging and disturbing mechanism comprising aspiral digger around said cable tube.

3. Machinery of the character described comprising in combination amovable carriage, a hollow shaft mounted on the movable carriage andextending downwardly therefrom, means on the carriage to revolve saidshaft, a spiral soil digger on the lower part of said shaft and adaptedto dig and disturb the soil in a trenchlike formation as the carriageprogresses over the ground surface, and a cable tube extendingdownwardly through said hollow shaft and adapted to deliver a cablerearwardly from the lower end of said hollow shaft.

4. Machinery of the character described, comprising in combination amovable carriage, a hollow shaft mounted 011 the movable carriage andextending downwardly therefrom, means on the carriage to revolve saidshaft, a spiral soil digger on the lower part of said shaft and adaptedto dig and disturb the soil in a trench-like formation as the carriageprogresses over the ground surface, and a cable tube extendingdownwardly through said hollow shaft and adapted to deliver a cablerearwardly from the lower end of said hollow shaft; mounting and drivingmeans for the hollow shaft on said carriage allowing the hollow shaftand the spiral soil digger to be raised and lowered with reference tothe carriage, and means for raising and lowering and for holding thehollow shaft in soil engaging position.

5. Machinery of the character described, embodying a movable carriage, ahollow rotatable shaft mounted at its upper end on the carriage andadapted to be projected downwardly therefrom into the soil, means torotate the hollow shaft, a rotary soil disturber on the shaft, and meansto feed a cable or the like downwardly through the hollow shaft.

6. Machinery of the character described, embodying a movable carriage, ahollow rotatable shaft mounted at its upper end on the carriage andadapted to be projected downwardly therefrom into the soil, means torotate the hollow shaft, a rotary soil disturber on the shaft, and astationary cable feeding tube extending down through the hollow shaftand having its lower end bent rearwardly to discharge a cable rearwardlyat the lower end of the hollow shaft.

7. Machinery of the character described,

embodying a movable carriage, a hollow. rotatable shaftswinginglymounted at. its up.- perend on the carriage to swing ina vertical planeso that it may be swung down to enter the soil, means: torotate-thehollow shaft, a rotary soil distnrber on the shaft, means tofeed a cable or the like downwardly through the hollow shaft, and meansfor rigidly holding the hollow shaft in position to hold its soildisturber' in operative relation to the soil as the carriage moves andmoves the dis: turber into thesoil.

8;. Machinery of the character described, embodying a movable carriage,a. hollow r0.- tatable shaft swingingly mounted at itsnpper end on thecarriage to swing, in a. vertical plane, ayoke frame hav ng ear ngs onthe esa-gee hollow shaft near its lower end. and at a point above itslower end, an. adjustable brace connected to the yoke frame and. ex?tending. rearwardly and upwardly and con.- neoted to the carriage, aspiral soil disturber on the. hollow shaft, means to rotate the shaft,and a stationary cable feeding tube extending downwardly through. the.hollow shaft and having its lower end projecting therefrom and. bentrearwardly...

In witness that I claim. the foregoing I have hereuntov subscribed. my.name this 6th day of December, 1918.

'LYTLE' S, ADAMS.

Witnessz.

VIRGINIA. Bnnmenn,

